The Present Disclosure relates, generally, to structures utilized in data transmission networks, and, more particularly, to network panel assemblies, jacks for such assemblies, housings for holding such jacks in place within such assemblies, and light pipe arrangements for such assemblies all having improved structures that facilitate quick and reliable upgrading and assembly of data transmission networks.
Data transmission networks are widely used in business operations, including financial, retail, manufacturing, medical, education and engineering sectors. They typically are comprised of a central server or computer storage unit that is linked, or networked, to a plurality of end user devices. Such end user devices include any device that transmits or receives data, such as personal computers, docking stations, wireless transmitting facilities, while end user devices may include printers, scanners, facsimile machines and voice over internet phones and Internet Protocol- (IP-) enabled sensors, alarms, cameras and lighting systems. All of these devices are usually operatively linked, or connected together, by means of data transmission lines that utilize high speed data cables containing associated pairs of high speed data wires.
A company or enterprise may include numerous end-user devices, deployed throughout an office campus or building in individual offices and/or in common areas accessible to the network end-users, such as conference rooms, Wi-Fi areas and printer havens. The network devices in the form of switches and routers form the heart of an enterprise data communication network as they route data packets between end-user devices on local area networks or between the local area network and larger corporate wide area networks, as well as the Internet. Many of these routers and switch network devices are typically located in rooms known as wiring closets and in data centers. In order to provide connections between the various end-user devices, the network devices are interconnected by cables in a one to one relationship. Cables may be used to connect data transmission lines to routers and switches which direct the data signals to end-user devices.
A network often utilizes network panels as one means of interconnection and the network panels, typically called “patch panels,” are interposed between the end user devices and switches or routers and may be used to connect the end user computers to internal networks or the Internet. Patch cords, or patch cables, are utilized to interconnect the various data transmission lines to the network devices. Space is at a premium in wiring closets and therefore it is advantageous to find ways to reduce the size of patch panel assemblies, or increase their capacities. Such patch panel assemblies may include a circuit board that is fixed in place within the panel assembly, a housing that is mounted to the circuit board and attached to a panel face and/or frame, and one or more data jacks that are held in the housing to define a plurality of panel ports, each of which accommodates a multi-wire jack. The wires of the data transmission cables running from the end user stations or devices are terminated to the back faces of the jacks of the panels, typically using a wire punch, onto insulation-displacement terminals. Patch cords are used to then connect the data transmission lines associated with one patch panel to ports (jack openings) of another network panel. Patch cords may be used in this manner to connect the data transmission lines to specific end user stations or devices.
Patch panels may be considered as the nerve center of an enterprise's information technology or data transmission system as they are the main links to connect data and route it to where it needs to go. Patch panels serve a central role in the administration of the telecommunications network in that they enable the process of moves, adds and changes of end user stations and devices. In today's complex office architecture, patch panels represent the only useful way to transfer lines from one office to another. For example, if two workers must transfer desk locations, a simple switch of patch cords into various ports on a patch panel can ease the move. Without this capability, much time and energy would be spent terminating cable that would have to be hard-wired. Patch panels are typically manufactured in standard widths and heights and a typical standard size patch panel includes 24 ports. These ports accommodate up to four wire pairs each for a total of 96 wire pairs. Those wire pairs are terminated to the termination face of the jacks by way of respective associated termination blocks, each of which supports a plurality of insulation displacement terminals. The data cables and their associated wires are supported on a frame at the rear of the panel and these cables tend to reduce the space available for manipulation of the cables. It is very time-consuming to change out patch panel components and the tight clearances associated with them make the changing, or upgrading, process difficult.
Changing or upgrading conventional patch panel assemblies is troublesome as the jacks may be mounted all together, as shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,251,707, issued 28 Aug. 2012 to the assignee of the Present Disclosure, the content of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety, in an arrangement upon one side of a first circuit board and termination blocks for the jacks are mounted on the opposite side of the first circuit board. In this design a second circuit board is connected to the first circuit board and spaced apart therefrom in order to support electronic components that affect the data transmission to and from the ports. These first and second circuit boards are supported as an interconnected pair, along with operational indicators on the second circuit board that typically take the form of light-emitting diodes (“LEDs”). These two circuit boards, their jacks and termination blocks form an integrated assembly that supports the electronics required for all 24 ports of the patch panel. All of the relevant electronics are supported on these two circuit boards. If a user needs to repair an electronic component or replace either of the panels, requires that all 24 ports of the patch panel are taken out of operation.
Furthermore, replacement of one of the data jacks, or even an indicator LED, due to failure or upgrading requires that all the supporting circuit boards be disassembled so that the jack or LED in question may be accessed. This takes a longer time than desirable and the negative effect of structures such as these are that it becomes close to impossible to do panel upgrades efficiently as all the panel components must be removed to access a single jack or other components. The jacks are further supported by the first circuit board in a manner such that termination of the cable wires must be performed carefully so as not to apply any excessive punch down forces to the first circuit board. Additionally, with such a structure, a user must purchase all the components necessary for all 24 ports of the patch panel and cannot simply start with a few ports and subsequently increase the capability of the patch panel. This can weaken already thin budgets for an enterprise that seeks to increase its IT capability as it grows. The structures shown in the '707 patent are not modular and cannot be replaced in smaller, discrete groups. That is one disadvantage to a conventional patch panel assembly.
Another disadvantage to such conventional patch panel structures is, as noted above, where the data jacks and termination blocks are mounted directly to a first circuit board or a monolithic circuit board assembly, care must be taken and specialized tools may need to be used to properly effect the termination of the wires of the data cables in a manner not to unduly transfer termination forces to the first circuit board. Similarly, because the jacks are affixed to the first circuit board, these conventional patch panel systems do not have any “pluggable” aspect to their jacks, where an installer can merely insert each jack individually into a housing, after terminating the cable wires to it, in order to repair, replace or upgrade the jack.
The circuit boards utilized on the aforementioned patch panels not only extend the entire width of the patch panel but they support components used for all of the ports of the panel. Failure of the components associated with one or more panel ports requires removal of the entire circuit board and usually replacement of it, as well. This is expensive when not all of the ports in the panel have failed or need attention. The known patch panel assemblies described above do not permit individual port repair or replacement insofar as the circuit boards and the electronic components mounted thereon are concerned. Consequentially, certain individuals would appreciate improvements to a patch panel assembly.